To many skiers, the most important feature in a ski binding is its safety release mechanisms. Safety bindings for alpine skiing, which comprise a toe piece working in conjunction with a heel piece to hold a ski boot in place, are well known in the art. The safety release mechanisms in such bindings release the ski boot from the binding on impact. This feature is highly desirable as it avoids or lessens the chance of serious injury to the skier in the event of an emergency.
Telemark skiers, however, do not enjoy most of the safety mechanisms available to Alpine skiers. The reason is, in Telemark skiing, the rear portion or heel of the ski boot must be freely liftable, while the front portion or toe of the ski boot is secured to the binding. Without a heel piece to hold the ski boot, many of the safety mechanisms devised for the Alpine ski bindings cannot be implemented. In some early embodiments of the 75 mm Nordic Norm equipments, which are still used for Telemarking, safety release mechanisms are not provided at all.
In recent years, manually operated toe clamping bindings have become popular among Telemark skiers. In some of these bindings, a pivoting toe holding device is used in conjunction with a release plate, creating a safety mechanism. In the event of an emergency or an impact, the pivoting toe holding device remains attached to the ski boot but detaches from the ski to protect the skier from serious injuries. The toe holding device, however, remains attached to the ski boot. Heel tightening cable bindings can also employ a pivoting toe holding device in conjunction with a release plate. In the event of an emergency or an impact, the pivoting toe holding device and cable assembly remain attached to the ski boot and detach from the release plate. The problem with these two types of prior art bindings is that they require the skier to reattach the toe holding device to the release plate. This is oftentimes a cumbersome task, especially when the skier is facing inclement weather, extreme temperatures or hazardous terrains, where it is difficult or dangerous for the skier to use their hands to effect binding entry.
What is needed is a step-in auto-releasing binding for a 75 mm Nordic Norm ski boot which, following actuation of its safety release mechanism and release of the ski boot, returns automatically to a desired position for receiving the boot.